北京故宮，又稱紫禁城，是中國明清兩代的皇家宮殿，位於北京市中心，是中國古代宮廷建築之精華。其歷史可追溯到明朝永樂年間（公元1406年），當時明成祖朱棣下令修建，歷時14年才完工。故宮佔地面積約72萬平方米，建築面積約為15萬平方米，是世界上最大的古代木質結構建築群。

在中國歷史上，故宮曾是24位皇帝的皇宮，以及政治和文化的中心。它是中國宮廷建築的典範，融合了漢族傳統建築風格和各個朝代的建築藝術精華。故宮內有大量珍貴的文物和藝術品，包括繪畫、雕刻、瓷器、書法等，其中許多都是國寶級別的文物。故宮共有四座城牆，內有大小宮殿和庭院數百間，是世界上保存最完整、規模最宏大的古代宮廷建築群之一。其建築風格嚴謹庄重，雄偉壯觀，被譽為中國古代建築的傑作。

目前，故宮已成為中國重要的旅遊景點和文化遺產，每年吸引著數以百萬計的國內外遊客前來參觀。同時，故宮也是世界文化遺產之一，為人們了解中國古代文化和歷史提供重要的窗口。遊覽故宮的網站pano.dpm.org.cn

The Beijing Forbidden City, also known as the Purple Forbidden City, was the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties in China. Located in the center of Beijing, it represents the essence of ancient Chinese palace architecture. Its history can be traced back to the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty in 1406 when Emperor Zhu Di ordered its construction, which took 14 years to complete. Covering an area of approximately 720,000 square meters, with a building area of about 150,000 square meters, it is the world's largest ancient wooden structure complex.

In Chinese history, the Forbidden City served as the palace for 24 emperors and was the political and cultural center of the country. It is a model of Chinese palace architecture, blending traditional Han architectural styles with the artistic essence of various dynasties. The Forbidden City houses a vast collection of precious cultural relics and artworks, including paintings, sculptures, ceramics, and calligraphy, many of which are national treasures.

The Forbidden City has four walls and hundreds of palaces and courtyards, making it one of the most complete and grand ancient palace complexes in the world. Its architectural style is rigorous, solemn, and magnificent, renowned as a masterpiece of ancient Chinese architecture.

Today, the Forbidden City has become an important tourist destination and cultural heritage site in China, attracting millions of domestic and foreign visitors annually. It is also recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, providing an important window for people to understand ancient Chinese culture and history. For virtual tours of the Forbidden City, visit the website pano.dpm.org.cn.

照片:DALLE3